Getting Horny

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Recollecting a quote from 1971 CT-70 Owner's Manual:
"If a footperson should obstruct your passage, tootle the horn. Tootle him melodiously at first; if he still impedes your progress, tootle him with vigor!"

You can't make this stuff up! But my '87 Aero now tootles not.

I passed state inspection with the stock horn earlier this week. I foolishly (?) decided to replace said anemic honker with a take-off Harley-Davidson Sportster horn. It bolted up fine, just had to bend the bracket to clear the front cover. It worked, but the tone was hoarse. Still louder than Honda-san's.

However the incompatibility between the HD and Honda DNA (or something) caused a disturbance in the Scooter Chi. The HD horn quit before the day was over.

No problem, re-installed Honda honker. Seemed OK for 1-2 toots, then it too went silent.

I plan to check for voltage at the wires with my multi-meter as soon as I can. If +, it would seem I need a new horn. If (-), then what?

All other electrical accessories are fine - signals, lights, gauge illumination, etc. I don't see a relay anywhere. Is there a fuse I can't find in the electrical diagram somewhere? - maybe just a fried switch?

Thnks for reading.

[Bear45-70]

You may have burnt up the horn switch due to the higher current draw of the Harley horn. See if you have voltage and ground at the horn. The green of course is the ground and should always be there. Voltage on the other wire when button is pressed.

[keithw]

It is a little late now but you should have replaced the stock horn with a relay and then used the relay to switch the current to the big fat horn. Take the horn switch apart and check the contacts. They are most likely burned up. You may be able to clean them up and get it to work again.

keithw

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

I'll check for current. Suspect you're right about the switch. I have installed relays before - air horns on other bikes.

Where to splice in: Is there a recommended source for power to the hot horn wire?

[Bear45-70]

Greetings:

I'll check for current. Suspect you're right about the switch. I have installed relays before - air horns on other bikes.

Where to splice in: Is there a recommended source for power to the hot horn wire?

Come off the battery with an inline fuse to the relay for your power source.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Update on horn issues. There was a spider's nest - I kid not - in the horn botton. Ha! Take a full stream of brake cleaner - Arachnid Scum!! Didn't help. The taillamp dims with horn button activation, but the silence is deafening. I think the Honda Honker has had it.

It didn't help to be working in the parking lot at midnight. With poor light. My Gumption was chased away with setback after setback. Lost screws, a corner of brittle plastic bracketry around the instrument cluster broke off. I reassembled as well as I could but the result was a lopsided cluster like a Salvador Dali clock. Googled it... http://www.paintinghere.com/painting/cl ... _6025.html

Cold darkness and fatigue don't make me a better wrencher. I'm pulling the powerplant again tonight and will carry the frame upstairs to work in the warmth and comfort of the Boudoir. Spousal unit is out of town, heh-heh.

I have the inline fuse and the 12-G wire to source the relay. HD Horn should fit. Hopefully the switch still has enough conductivity to work the relay. How many ohms in silk?

[mousewheels]

Hey, you are not alone with the spider problem. I pulled open a control for a photo, and found spider silk too!



The contacts on this one looks pretty clean. Another trouble spot I've seen is between the tapered spring and the top/bottom contacts.

Thanks - Those Salvador Dali clocks are nice, don't know a thing about art, but melting clocks are fine by me. Will make Mrs Mouse grin with new found art knowledge. Yes dear, those scooter guys are a cultured lot...

Reassembly tip - use a small flat shim (I use a scroll saw blade) to help hold the spring compressed and let the rear contact slide past the spring, Then remove the shim.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Don't knock spider silk! It's mostly what's holding Flash together!

I have not yet disassembled the controls but appreciate your tips. Got any pics of the process?

Tell Ms. Mouse most of my art features canine card games...

[mousewheels]

Ahh, Wheelman I know I've seen dogs playing cards, but can't name the artist.... Going to take more art study before I talk about that Salvador Dali guy to Mrs Mouse, she's too smart to go for one trick from me!

Likely there photos than needed. But in hopes the mass of photos will help a newcomer fix a horn or starter button problem, there's one for every step.

Back to the disassembled switch. This one has contacts in good condition, but there are two more - the contact between the button and spring, and the spring to switch base. These were both dirty.




Here is the dirty horn contact. The switch contact itself looks pretty good. But the switch depends upon good contact between the spring to button and spring to switch base too. The spring contact surface could use some improvement


Cleaned up horn switch contact. Clean the switch base and spring while you are at it.


With everything cleaned up, your switch is ready for reassembly, here's an exploded view.


There's a small assembly trick, when the horn button and spring are installed, it is very difficult to get the switch rear contact to slide into the housing.


I have used a small drill bit, a piece of piano wire (get this at a hobby shop), but the easiest tool I've found is a narrow shim, like a scroll saw blade. Use any of these items with the little weep hole in the bottom of the control housing to depress the spring like this....


Next, slide the rear switch contact into the housing slots.


Pull out your assembly tool, and your job is almost complete


Just, install the turn signal switch, and install the bolt and washer.

[/img]



Job well done, now go study some of that art Mr Wheelman's talking about...

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Very effective demonstration! Thank you! Mr. Moderator, please consider filing MW's post in Tech for posterity. Good stuff.

[timcat]

i have a horn from a bread truck some where around here maby ill see if i can put that on my spree just for * and grins

[maddog]

i use a 120 db ooga horn in my elite-s, it fits if you know how to do it.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:
Don't wire your breadtruck horn directly to your horn switch! It will fry. See the beginning of this thread. I can send you a spare relay with instructions if you like. Got anything extra to swap?